“I’ll let you come collect your things,” she added. “Photos, clothes… whatever you left behind. Though honestly, the place needs a full redesign. He used to say your taste was… depressing.”
My mother-in-law sighed softly, but didn’t intervene.
She never really defended me. Not in life. Not now.
I opened my bag slowly.
That small movement caught everyone’s attention.
Because I didn’t look broken.
I didn’t look like a woman who had just lost her husband—and then lost everything else.
I looked… prepared.
I placed a blue folder on the table.
The sound was sharp. Final.
“Before she signs,” I said calmly, “I think we should also review the rest of Adrian’s legacy.”
Lila’s smile flickered.
Just for a second.
The lawyer hesitated, then opened the folder.
His expression changed almost immediately.
“…There are outstanding financial obligations,” he said carefully.
Lila laughed lightly. “Everyone has debts. That’s normal.”
The lawyer didn’t smile.
“Not like this.”
Silence filled the room.
I folded my hands neatly in front of me.
“For years,” I said, “my husband was very good at looking successful.”
Lila’s eyes snapped to mine.